TANAHU: Minister for Health and Population Pradeep Poudel said that a formal agreement will be signed with the Indian government for the construction of a 300-bed hospital building at the GP Koirala Respiratory Treatment Center during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s upcoming visit to India.
Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘Electronic Medical Record’ system at the hospital in Belchautara, Shuklagandaki Municipality-5, Tanahu, Minister Poudel confirmed that the Indian government has already given consent to upgrade the facility.
The new agreement is expected to initiate the construction process. “According to the DPR, the hospital upgrade will cost Rs 600 crore, and the proposal has already been sent to the Indian Ministry of Health. We have completed all the necessary procedures,” Poudel said.
He added that until the new structure is built, the existing general hospital should continue to function effectively. Once upgraded, the facility will become the largest respiratory treatment center in Nepal.
Minister Poudel emphasized that the GP Koirala Respiratory Treatment Center has the potential to become a major healthcare hub, but this requires the coordinated support of the federal, provincial, and local governments.
Plans are also in place to train MDGP doctors at the center, for which the hospital must attract a minimum of 700 patients daily.
The government had previously decided to establish the hospital as a national-level respiratory center in honor of former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
For this purpose, 740 ropanis of land has been allocated in Belchautara. The hospital currently serves patients from several municipalities in Tanahun, as well as neighboring districts including Syangja, Palpa, and Nawalparasi.
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